After months of community action and campaigning to address the role of alcohol in the crisis of violence against women in Australia, the government has finally decided to place the health of women and children before alcohol industry interests.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced alcohol would be one of the areas federal, state and territory governments would act on to prevent gender-based violence.
In this article, we chronicle the advocacy efforts, revelations, set backs and successes of community groups, advocates, and women’s rights champions.

A political commitment at last

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced alcohol would be one of the areas federal, state and territory governments would act on to prevent gender-based violence. Australia’s Premiers and Chief Ministers committed to reviewing their alcohol laws and sharing best practice and reforms.

Addressing the media, Prime Minister Albanese said:

We focused on action in four areas: supporting the critical work of frontline services, turning our eyes on perpetrators to stop violence from escalating, providing more support for children and young people who have experienced violence, and tackling the impacts of alcohol on violence.”

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

A media statement released by the Prime Minister and agreed to by First Ministers stated:

Acknowledging the role that systems and industries can play in exacerbating violence, State and Territory First Ministers agreed to review alcohol laws and its impact on family and domestic violence victims to identify and share best practice and reforms and to report back to National Cabinet on progress.”

First Ministers of Australia’s states and territories

Kym Valentine, an experienced television/theatre actor and Survivor Advocate, applauded National Cabinet members for acknowledging the role alcohol plays in exacerbating and increasing rates of family and domestic violence.

As a victim survivor and an advocate for the voice of people with a lived experience – thank you.

Thank you for hearing us, and for believing us.

For far too long, it has been politically controversial to take action on alcohol – despite the fact that the link between alcohol and violence has always been categorically undeniable.

For victim survivors and children this is a significant moment. Our real-life experiences can’t be ignored, suppressed or denied any more.”

Kym Valentine, actress and survivor advocate

Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) CEO Caterina Giorgi welcomed National Cabinet’s commitment to acting on alcohol as part of its approach to preventing gender-based violence.

We welcome the Prime Minister’s acknowledgement of alcohol as a priority at today’s National Cabinet meeting and thank him and the First Ministers for their commitment to reviewing laws on alcohol to reflect best practice.

We look forward to continuing to work with all states and territories to ensure that the voices of victim survivors are heard throughout this process and that the laws on alcohol prioritise the health and wellbeing of women and children.”

Caterina Giorgi, CEO, Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE)

Months of community action and campaigning

The decision comes after months of advocacy, community action, and campaigning for alcohol to be considered in the response to Australia’s epidemic of violence against women.

Just a few days before the Prime Minister’s announcement, more than 30 community, health, Aboriginal, research and women’s organisations had signed an open letter calling on the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers to commit to taking action on alcohol’s role in domestic, family and sexual violence.

In the open letter sent to the members of National Cabinet ahead of their pivotal meeting, community leaders called for governments to implement the alcohol-related recommendations outlined in the rapid review panel final report, “Unlocking the prevention potential: Accelerating action to end domestic, family and sexual violence.

Among other recommendations, the role of alcohol policy for preventing violence against women is also addressed:

  • 17a. adopting clear primary objectives in state and territory liquor regulatory regimes to prevent gender-based violence, alongside existing objectives around alcohol harm reduction (states and territories).
  • 17b. restrictions on alcohol sales, delivery timeframes (states and territories) and advertising (Commonwealth and states and territories).

The open letter also called on National Cabinet to re-establish a national governance framework for the alcohol and other drugs sector to coordinate action across state and territory governments. 

Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) CEO Caterina Giorgi said governments have a unique opportunity to prevent further harm and violence.

This is a once in a generation opportunity to drive meaningful change that will prevent gender-based violence and violence against children. It’s time for governments to act on alcohol, as part of a comprehensive approach to preventing family, domestic and sexual violence.

We need strong leadership to implement the expert panel’s recommendations to address this crisis – now.”

Caterina Giorgi, CEO, Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE)

Australia’s violence against women crisis and the role of alcohol

Acknowledging the harmful role of alcohol in family violence is an important part of the wider effort to keep women and children safe.  

  • In 2021-22, 47% of women who were sexually assaulted by a man in the past decade said alcohol or another substance contributed to the most recent incident.
  • In 2014-15, alcohol was involved in 1 in 3 intimate partner violence incidents and more than 1 in 4 family violence incidents.
  • In 2021-22, 20% of offenders involved in domestic homicides had consumed alcohol.

Data clearly demonstrates that alcohol is a significant contributor to family violence, with alcohol involved in between 23 and 65% of all family violence incidents reported by police. 

The use of alcohol by perpetrators of violence also increases the severity of family violence, leading to higher rates of physical violence and injury.   

65%
Alcohol’s significant contribution to family violence
Alcohol is involved in between 23 and 65% of all family violence incidents reported by police.

Alcohol sales are also targeted at people who consume the most alcohol, with companies selling 36% of alcohol to 5% of people, placing people at greater risk of harm. 

Australian evidence shows that the increased density of alcohol outlets, particularly packaged liquor outlets such as bottle-shops, increases rates of family violence. A further study in New South Wales found that the extension to takeaway alcohol sales from a 10pm close to an 11pm close resulted in a statistically significant increase in domestic violence assaults, equating to 1,120 family violence assaults occurring in the 38-months after trading hours were extended. 

36%
Alcohol companies target people who consume the most alcohol
Alcohol companies are selling 36% of alcohol to 5% of alcohol consumers, placing people at greater risk of harm. 

The explosion of the often-unregulated online sale and delivery of alcohol, making every phone a bottleshop, is also increasing the risk of violence. The rapid delivery of alcohol into homes in as little as 30 minutes is further exacerbating these harms. 

Campaign overview

From urgent calls to action, to major setbacks, persisting omission of alcohol policy in action packages, to advances and the eventual recognition of the urgent to address alcohol’s role in the gender-based violence crisis – the campaign has been a roller coaster. Here’s an overview of the key actions, non-actions, and events, via FARE:

  1. April 30, 2024: Dozens of community, health and Aboriginal organisations join FARE in signing an open letter to National Cabinet, calling for immediate action on better alcohol regulation to reduce rates of men’s violence against women and children.
  2. May 1, 2024: National Cabinet meets and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announces a suite of measures that do not include any mention of meaningful reform on the commercial determinants of family violence, including alcohol and gambling.
  3. May 1, 2024: FARE responds to National Cabinet’s decision to overlook alcohol’s role in family violence.
  4. May 2, 2024: Media coverage the day after National Cabinet highlights the action that’s required on alcohol to curb rates of family violence. According to ABC reporting, FARE’s CEO Caterina Giorgi, criticised the participants in the National Cabinet meeting for not making any commitments that address the role alcohol plays in fuelling men’s violence against women and children. She described the lack of announcements as a “deafening silence from Australia’s leaders”, and a “devastating blow”.
  5. May 7, 2024: FARE CEO Caterina Giorgi joined 70 experts from across the country at the Crisis Talks Into Missing and Murdered Women, convened by Domestic Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin.
  6. May 9, 2024: Following the roundtable, the Domestic Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin drew a link between alcohol and family violence – and implored Premiers and Chief Ministers to consider better regulating.
  7. May 28, 2024: The Federal Government appointed an expert panel to conduct a rapid review into how to prevent men’s violence against women and children. The review signals a potential shift in direction for the government, with its panel including strong critics of current prevention strategies. The Albanese government has been heavily criticised by the domestic, sexual and family violence response sector following the federal budget, which was described by frontline workers as “trickery and deception”. The “rapid review” cost $1.3 million over two years and will be led by Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin, director of the Commonwealth Office for Women Padma Raman, and secretary of the Department of Social Services Ray Griggs.
  8. May 29, 2024: Community organisations and researchers gathered in Perth to discuss the policy responses needed to address alcohol’s role in violence. The discussion focused on a review study, led by Dr Ingrid Wilson, which found men’s high-risk alcohol use contributes to violence yet interventions to target these harms are scarce.
  9. May 30, 2024: Journalist Jess Hill and UNSW Professor of Criminology Michael Salter addressed parliamentarians and community organisations on their White Paper, ‘Rethinking Primary Prevention’, at Parliament House in Canberra. The briefing highlighted why governments must act on commercial drivers of men’s violence, including alcohol and gambling, as one part of the strategy to protect women and children.
  10. May 31, 2024: The conversation about alcohol’s role in exacerbating men’s violence against women and children reached Question Time. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese acknowledged the links between “excessive” consumption of alcohol and violence, suggesting there is “more to do”. Government must defy the alcohol lobby to help end family violence, according to Members of Parliament and advocates, according to ABC reporting. Independent MP Zali Steggall called on Labor to look at limiting access to alcohol deliveries and other measures to curb alcohol-fuelled violence. Ms Steggall said lobbying by alcohol companies has stifled efforts to make women safer.
  11. June 5, 2024: Domestic violence support services braced themselves for a surge of calls on State of Origin game night, sparking a raft of media coverage.
  12. June 17, 2024: FARE CEO Caterina Giorgi and community leaders highlight problematic DrinkWise campaign ahead of State of Origin, and the need for meaningful action to prevent violence against women and children. ABC reported that advocates called the updated “Always Respect, Always DrinkWise” campaign was being used by alcohol companies as a “slimy tactic”. Alcohol has been found to be an accelerant in situations of sexual, family and domestic violence. Women’s shelters always prepare for increased demand on the night of the State of Origin rugby match, with rates of domestic violence spiking around Origin matches.
  13. June 24, 2024: Survivor Advocate Kym Valentine and FARE CEO Caterina Giorgi joined the ABC’s Conversation Hour to discuss alcohol’s role in violence.
  14. July 27, 2024: The Saturday Paper revealed how part of the evidence to inform the current strategy for the prevention of gender-based violence was suppressed 10 years ago. FARE CEO Caterina Giorgi highlighted that while the past can’t be changed, there is an opportunity in the present to confront the powerful commercial drivers of violence – including alcohol and gambling.
  15. July 29, 2024: In a follow-up article published in Women’s Agenda, Ms Giorgi said she was “sad but not surprised” to learn evidence had been suppressed and that all options to prevent harm must be on the table. And FARE CEO Caterina Giorgi told The Project how big alcohol companies and their lobbyists have undermined meaningful, common-sense reforms that would prevent harm to women and children.
  16. August 21, 2024: In her National Press Club address, Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Commissioner Micaela Cronin said better regulating harmful industries, like alcohol, must be included in a multi-pronged approach to prevent gender-based and family violence.
  17. August 23, 2024: The Rapid Review Expert Panel released their report. It includes several alcohol policy recommendations along with other recommendations regarding alcohol to prevent domestic, family and sexual violence in Australia.
  18. August 28, 2024: Dozens of Australians called on their State and Territory leaders to adopt in full the rapid review expert panel’s recommendations relating to alcohol, to prevent further harm to women and children.
  19. September 3, 2024: More than 30 community, health, Aboriginal, research and women’s organisations signed an open letter calling on the Prime Minister, Premiers and Chief Ministers to commit to taking action on alcohol’s role in domestic, family and sexual violence.
  20. September 6, 2024: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced alcohol would be one of the areas federal, state and territory governments would act on to prevent gender-based violence. Australia’s Premiers and Chief Ministers committed to reviewing their liquor laws and sharing best practice and reforms.
  21. September 16, 2024: FARE hosted a webinar unpacking the link between alcohol and gendered and family violence. The four-person panel sharing insights on lived experience, research, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and advocacy included Survivor Advocate Kym Valentine, globally-renowned researcher in alcohol-related intimate partner violence Dr Ingrid Wilson, proud Palawa woman Nicole Hewlett, and criminology Professor Michael Salter.

Source Website: FARE